Industrial Design Protection

The design of your products distinguishes you from your competitors. This makes your products especially popular. All the more reason to protect them.

In contrast to Patents and Utility Models, which protect technical inventions, the industrial design (design) patent protects a product’s appearance, the importance of which should not be underestimated.

Unlike technical intellectual property rights, design protection offers limited protection without requiring you to apply or officially register; you just need a non-registered community design. The term of protection provided by a non-registered community design, however, is limited to three years and difficulties related to proof of origin and ownership may arise.

Thus, there are several reasons for registering a design, for example via a German design patent, a Community Design Patent (also known as “EU Design” or “European Design”), or an International Design.

Ultimately, the goal is to identify the object to be protected and to graphically represent it in accordance with requirements. Minor adjustments can often lead to great improvements in design protection. We lend our experience and expertise to prepare and carry through your design application.

Have you already started thinking about your new product design or have you put the finishing touches on a design and are now eager to Avoid Design Infringements?

Monitoring third-party designs

Do you need to create a new design? Would you like to recognize design trends and obtain an overview of Foreign Designs?

Revoking design protection

Did you know that there is third-party design protection which could hinder your project? Would you now like to Remove Third-party Designs?

Design infringement

Have you been accused of design infringement, warned, had a complaint filed or an interim injunction issued against you? We help you defend yourself against accusations of Design Infringement.

Design contract: license, design development & purchase

Would you like to acquire or to sell a protected design or a design patent? Do you intend to license a protected design or to grant a license for your own design? We support you in negotiating and preparing Design Contracts.